Omnivision has announced a variety of new sensor breakthroughs at CES 2022 that will soon find their way into the next generation of smartphones, webcams, VR headsets, and other devices. Here’s what you can expect from the company.
Perhaps most notable among these breakthroughs is a smartphone camera sensor called OVBOB that features a record-breaking 200 megapixels. To accomplish this, Omnivision has created the world’s smallest pixels, each a mere 0.61 microns in size. It also integrated a 16-cell color filter array for increased preview and video quality, as well as a 100% quad phase detection system to improve autofocus performance.
We’re expecting to see the first batch of 200MP-capable smartphones in 2022, though we don’t know what specific manufactures will be using them yet. Omnivision did tell Digital Trends that the 200MP sensor is intended for flagship devices, so we can make a reasonably educated guess that it’ll come to all the top-tier phones from manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Motorola, and others.
Omnivision is also creating new and improved display tech with the TD4377, a touch and display driver that boosts the touch report rate with 1080p resolution and 1a 44hz display frame rate. To be clear, that’s how the smartphone sees your input, not the resolution and refresh rate that you, the user sees. Essentially, this boils down to the TD4377 being significantly more responsive to user input than other touchscreen interfaces.
Another interesting camera that Omnivision announced is the OV02C webcam, which is the first 1/7-inch 2MP for Full HD video. This is important because it means the OV02C is a camera that’s small enough to fit into extremely small spaces such as ultrathin laptop bezels while still providing relatively high resolution recording. Dell has picked this sensor up for its next-gen Latitude laptops, specifically the Latitude 5000, 7000, and 9000. Hopefully, this camera will help put an end to the long-standing poor quality of nearly all laptop webcams.
Of interest to virtual reality (VR) enthusiasts is the OCOTA camera, which is the first fully integrated backside illuminated sensor (BSI) eye-tracking camera. The camera has a global shutter, and is the smallest eye-tracking camera module currently available. Omnivision is developing the OCOTA in coordination with Tobii, one of the leaders in eye-tracking technology. This camera has big implications for VR, as well as augmented reality and mixed reality applications
Other announcements from Omnivisian include a new security camera designed in collaboration with Ajax Systems that utilizes an ultra-low-power HDR sensor designed for lowlight conditions, fast boot speeds, and a high degree of autonomy for use in remote areas. Omnivision also unveiled new cameras for use in cars for such purposes as surround view cameras, electronic mirrors, and driver behavior monitoring.
The overall takeaway here is that Omnivision is pushing the boundaries of electronic imaging to add novel and unprecedented capabilities to a wide range of devices. Considering that these cameras are designed to be integrated into so much of our lives, the company’s name is certainly appropriate.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.
Apple's first foldable phone is now on shelves, in short supply, but with an unreal amount of buzz around it. After all, it's the first foldable iPhone, and there's plenty that this phone gets right. But there's also a lot that is either broken or underwhelming. What's peculiar is the dialogue around this phone, and how it has completely overshadowed every other attempt at making a phone with a similar form factor.
I've spent some time with the iPhone Duo, and I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for almost three months now. In my opinion, Samsung deserves more credit. When the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived earlier this year, it was celebrated in some circles and ridiculed in others for supposedly copying what Apple would eventually deliver with the iPhone Duo. The dialogue was pretty odd, for multiple reasons. Samsung has been making foldable phones for years, so claiming that it copied a product Apple hadn't even launched was simply absurd.